The tech sector of the US economy makes up 7.1% of the country’s gross domestic product. However, U.S. colleges aren’t keeping up the job growth in tech. Women are particularly underrepresented, with women earning just 18% of computer science degrees today versus 37% 20 years ago. In addition, the highest-paying tech jobs in NY are overwhelmingly held by men (80%), while women hold the majority (60%) of low-paying tech jobs. To address the shortfall in technical workers, it is critical to engage women as they are half the workforce.

The adjusted pay gap ranges from a low of 3.9% in Australia to a high of 6.3% in France. The adjusted pay gap in the U.S. is 5.4%. The adjusted pay gap controls for variables such as education, experience, and location. The lack of these controls is a shortcoming of some other pay gap analyses.

Further, the report finds that in the countries studied that about one-third of the gap is due to factors like discrimination, be it overt or unconscious, while about two-thirds of the gap is explainable by worker differences.(Note: there is variability by country.)

The report also concludes that pay transparency can root out unjustifiable pay gaps.

Looking ahead to the decline in the US workforce as Baby Boomers retire (60% by 2060), the fast-growing Hispanic community will be critical to filling this gap. The report estimates that Hispanics will represent 1 of every 2 people entering the workforce by 2025. Educationally, 65% of jobs by 2020 will require post-secondary schooling or specialized training and Hispanics enroll in college at a rate equal to whites, positioning them to help meet this demand. Providing financial aid and other support for college, as well as support in the workplace to appreciate diversity, will pay rich dividends.

Among the “missing workers” in the US economy, those no longer looking for work thus not showing up in government unemployment numbers, women are part of that growing trend. Unlike other Western economies that offer supportive family policies, women’s economical destinies in the US are being limited by lack of support for their caregiver responsibilities, not the by criminal records or disabilities affecting men. One economist calls it the “care chasm” and addressing it could bring more women into the workforce.

Looking ahead to the decline in the US workforce as Baby Boomers retire (60% by 2060), the fast-growing Hispanic community will be critical to filling this gap. The Society for Human Resource Management and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute report estimates that Hispanics will represent one of every two people entering the workforce by 2025. Educationally, 65% of jobs by 2020 will require post-secondary schooling or specialized training and Hispanics enroll in college at a rate equal to whites, positioning them to help meet this demand. Providing financial aid and other support for college, as well as support in the workplace to appreciate diversity, will pay rich dividends.

The US ranks last of all developed countries in requiring paid family leave, leaving 100 million-plus employees without that benefit, resulting in 25% of new mothers returning to work 10 days after having a child. An advocacy group reports that 60 of the nation’s companies having the most employees either do not have or would not disclose their parental leave policy. In 2016, the trend continued for individual cities and states, and privately and publicly held companies (Etsy, EY [formerly Ernst & Young], Coca-Cola Company, American Express, Ikea, BASF) leading the way in expanding mandated parental leave. Research continues to find that the expense of such policies is more than offset by increasing the ability to attract and keep talent, reducing the costs of turnover, and increasing diversity.